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| Exams going ahead as freeze eases | Exams going ahead as freeze eases |
| (39 minutes later) | |
| Most pupils sitting exams were able to get to their schools or colleges despite the poor weather, the assembly government says. | |
| Around 160 schools were fully or partially closured on Monday, but those holding external exams opened to the affected GCSE and A-level pupils. | |
| It is understood all centres in Wales were able to provide accommodation for candidates to take the exams. | |
| Examining bodies ruled out postponing them because of the snow and ice. | |
| Students who cannot get to their exams will have to sit them in the summer. | Students who cannot get to their exams will have to sit them in the summer. |
| More bad weather could be on the way with the Met Office warning of a high risk of snow affecting southern and central Wales during Tuesday afternoon and early on Wednesday. | More bad weather could be on the way with the Met Office warning of a high risk of snow affecting southern and central Wales during Tuesday afternoon and early on Wednesday. |
| WEATHER LOOK-AHEAD | WEATHER LOOK-AHEAD |
| Derek Brockway, BBC Wales weather forecaster | Derek Brockway, BBC Wales weather forecaster |
| The big freeze of 2010 has loosened its grip slightly with a slow thaw of lying snow but we are not out of the woods yet. | The big freeze of 2010 has loosened its grip slightly with a slow thaw of lying snow but we are not out of the woods yet. |
| More snow is expected on Tuesday afternoon, overnight and into Wednesday. | More snow is expected on Tuesday afternoon, overnight and into Wednesday. |
| Some heavy falls are likely too with drifting in strong winds. | Some heavy falls are likely too with drifting in strong winds. |
| At the moment it looks like mid and south Wales will bear the brunt of it. | At the moment it looks like mid and south Wales will bear the brunt of it. |
| But north Wales is also likely to see some snow on Wednesday. | But north Wales is also likely to see some snow on Wednesday. |
| It looks like it will become less cold at the end of the week with some rain on Friday and Saturday. | It looks like it will become less cold at the end of the week with some rain on Friday and Saturday. |
| However, it is possible the cold weather could return later in the month. | However, it is possible the cold weather could return later in the month. |
| Derek's blog looks at heavy snowfall in previous years | Derek's blog looks at heavy snowfall in previous years |
| There were school closures - and some partial closures - across the country, with worst affected counties on Monday including Blaenau Gwent, Denbighshire, Merthyr, Powys and Rhondda Cynon Taf. | There were school closures - and some partial closures - across the country, with worst affected counties on Monday including Blaenau Gwent, Denbighshire, Merthyr, Powys and Rhondda Cynon Taf. |
| However, the closures was a fraction of the total on days last week, when over 1,000 schools closed. | |
| A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said: "We recognise the stress and upset that the adverse weather can cause for candidates who have been preparing hard for this week's exams. | A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said: "We recognise the stress and upset that the adverse weather can cause for candidates who have been preparing hard for this week's exams. |
| "Examinations across Wales do not involve one but four awarding bodies. | "Examinations across Wales do not involve one but four awarding bodies. |
| "During the current period of severe weather, the department for children, education and lifelong learning has been working with its fellow regulators in Northern Ireland and England and with the qualification awarding bodies to ensure that the response across Wales, England and Northern Ireland is consistent. | "During the current period of severe weather, the department for children, education and lifelong learning has been working with its fellow regulators in Northern Ireland and England and with the qualification awarding bodies to ensure that the response across Wales, England and Northern Ireland is consistent. |
| "Deferring examinations might result in them being re-scheduled at a time when equally inclement weather occurs. | "Deferring examinations might result in them being re-scheduled at a time when equally inclement weather occurs. |
| School closures in Wales on Tuesday | School closures in Wales on Tuesday |
| "It would also be unfair on all those students throughout the whole of Wales who have worked hard to prepare in the expectation of sitting examinations next week where there is no reason for their examinations not to go ahead." | "It would also be unfair on all those students throughout the whole of Wales who have worked hard to prepare in the expectation of sitting examinations next week where there is no reason for their examinations not to go ahead." |
| Alternative venues could be used to sit examinations through agreement between examination centres and the awarding bodies, the spokesperson added. | Alternative venues could be used to sit examinations through agreement between examination centres and the awarding bodies, the spokesperson added. |
| A snow woman outside Abergwili Primary School, Carmarthenshire | A snow woman outside Abergwili Primary School, Carmarthenshire |
| In Merthyr Tydfil, exams for students who attend Afon Taf High School, Bishop Hedley High School, Cyfarthfa High School and Penydre High School have been taking place at a temporary examination centre in Merthyr Tydfil College in the town centre. | |
| The assembly government said: "As far as we can ascertain, all centres in Wales were able to provide accommodation for candidates to take exams. | |
| "The information from some of the worst affected areas, including Ceredigion and Merthyr Tydfil, suggests that virtually all candidates were able to attend today." | |
| School closures are already being announced for Tuesday, 12 January, including Ysgol y Plas at Llanelian near Colwyn Bay. | School closures are already being announced for Tuesday, 12 January, including Ysgol y Plas at Llanelian near Colwyn Bay. |
| St John Baptist Church in Wales High School in Aberdare, Cynon Valley, will only be open to staff and pupils in years 10, 11, 12 and 13. | St John Baptist Church in Wales High School in Aberdare, Cynon Valley, will only be open to staff and pupils in years 10, 11, 12 and 13. |
| Some local authorities were expecting to run out of gritting salt over the weekend and are now concentrating on treating essential main roads. | Some local authorities were expecting to run out of gritting salt over the weekend and are now concentrating on treating essential main roads. |
| Pembrokeshire, which said it only had a few days of grit left, is expecting to receive additional supplies of salt from a depot in Cheshire which has diverted a planned delivery to Germany to hard-pressed local authorities in the UK. | Pembrokeshire, which said it only had a few days of grit left, is expecting to receive additional supplies of salt from a depot in Cheshire which has diverted a planned delivery to Germany to hard-pressed local authorities in the UK. |
| Serenity and a snowman in Newport | Serenity and a snowman in Newport |
| The council is one of a handful of local authorities in the UK to receive the evaporated salt, which will be mixed with grit before being spread on roads. | The council is one of a handful of local authorities in the UK to receive the evaporated salt, which will be mixed with grit before being spread on roads. |
| Denbighshire Council said a pavement had been gritted, where an 88-year-old man is believed to have fallen and died in icy conditions. | Denbighshire Council said a pavement had been gritted, where an 88-year-old man is believed to have fallen and died in icy conditions. |
| Giuseppe Terzo, known locally as Joe, was found unconscious on Friday in Clwyd Street, Ruthin. | Giuseppe Terzo, known locally as Joe, was found unconscious on Friday in Clwyd Street, Ruthin. |
| In Gwynedd, the air ambulance was called in to reach a farmer with a broken leg, after concerns the ambulance crew would struggle to reach the farm near Caernarfon by road. | |
| Transport minister Ieuan Wyn Jones told BBC Radio Wales: "There is sufficient grit for our own purposes [to keep trunk roads clear] but we do recognise there are a number of local authorities that are under severe pressure. | Transport minister Ieuan Wyn Jones told BBC Radio Wales: "There is sufficient grit for our own purposes [to keep trunk roads clear] but we do recognise there are a number of local authorities that are under severe pressure. |
| "What we are trying to do is make sure there is an equitable distribution of grit, making sure that those authorities which need it will be able to get some of that," he added. "Where there are particular difficulties we can make available our gritting lorries to those local authorities who are in the worst position." | "What we are trying to do is make sure there is an equitable distribution of grit, making sure that those authorities which need it will be able to get some of that," he added. "Where there are particular difficulties we can make available our gritting lorries to those local authorities who are in the worst position." |
| Transport problems | |
| A number of First Bus services in Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Cardiff were still being affected by icy side roads. | A number of First Bus services in Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Cardiff were still being affected by icy side roads. |
| Arriva Trains Wales and First Great Western reported all services were running as normal. | Arriva Trains Wales and First Great Western reported all services were running as normal. |
| Meanwhile, Rhondda Cynon Taf council is warning people not to ignore road closure signs for the three mountain roads it has been forced to close - Rhigos, Bwlch and Maerdy. | |
| A council spokesman said some motorists were moving the signs aside and driving through, which was not only putting themselves at risk, but also other innocent motorists who subsequently could not see the notices. | |
| Torfaen council is warning people to take extra care when walking in areas with overhanging icicles after some as long as 1m (3ft) were knocked down from above shops in Blaenavon. | |
| Powys Council also warned of the dangers of walking on iced-over water after reports of people walking on a frozen lake in Llandrindod Wells. | Powys Council also warned of the dangers of walking on iced-over water after reports of people walking on a frozen lake in Llandrindod Wells. |
| A spokesperson said: "There is a real risk of falling through the ice into deep freezing water which can be fatal." | A spokesperson said: "There is a real risk of falling through the ice into deep freezing water which can be fatal." |